Cat Spaying and Neutering - the Facts

I think I will not be 'shot down in flames' if I state the 'fairly obvious' here, the benefits of spaying a male are so significant, that I can confidently say that that an unaltered male cat will not make a good house pet. If you want to keep a male cat as a pet you simply must neuter him. Not only to help reduce the overpopulation of cats but also for the benefit of the cleanliness of your property. An unaltered male is usually called a Tomcat; they have a tendency to spray foul-smelling urine around their territory and neutering a male cat before he reaches sexual maturity, will virtually prevent this behavior. If a tomcat has already started marking out his territory, neutering him is still likely to reduce the habit, if not totally stop it happening at all.

The urine of a neutered cat does not smell as much if it still happens. Tomcats are notorious travelers, as they go in search of female cats they tend to roam away from home for long periods of time. Losing a cat for any length of time is not something you want to experience, but setting aside our hurt and upset, the tomcat could be in terrible danger, stories of being hit by a car, hurt by people and dogs and being poisoned spring to mind. Tomcats also tend to fight over females and their territory, even the strongest cats are prone to get injured, risking the likelihood of an infection. Reading between the lines, I think that I can safely say that it is virtually impossible to keep two or more male cats together.

Now that we have covered some of the advantages of spraying and neutering, I am sure that you are thinking of some questions that you need answering in your head. I don't profess to be a mind reader. I thought of eight questions that I would want answered myself and found myself researching the answers.

What is the best age for my cat to be spayed/neutered?
The best time seems to be before your cat reaches sexual maturity. There is some evidence to support early spay and neuter between 8 - 16 weeks, but as long as the cat is no older than 5 - 6 months then you should be okay. I would advise consulting a vet to help making a decision.

Will my cat get fat and lazy?
The simple answer is YES - if they eat too much and don't get enough exercise, I cannot find a connection between spaying and neutering causing weight gain in cats. Your cat is not likely to become lazier or sleepier because of sterilization; a cat's personality is determined by its genetic make up and external stimulation, not by its hormones.

I want to have a large cat - Will spaying/neutering stop my kitten's growth?
No, and, actually some studies have indicated that spaying/neutering a cat early actually makes the cats larger, not fat but taller and stronger, apparently.

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